Timur Valiev suffered a defeat in the semifinals of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) against Brad Katona of Team Conor McGregor. Despite this setback, his friend Islam Makhachev stood by him and offered his support during challenging times.
It’s been a disastrous season on TUF for Mystic Mac as Team Michael Chandler has been winning constantly. However, through Brad, The Notorious finally has someone to look forward to in the finals.
Islam Makhachev shows up to support Timur Valiev
The UFC lightweight champion expressed his belief that Timur deserves to be part of the UFC again. Before his time on TUF, Valiev was previously with Dana White’s promotion for a short period.
During his two-year tenure at the UFC, Timur had a bittersweet career, with a mix of ups and downs. In 2020, Timur’s UFC debut was marked by a No Contest (NC) against Trevin Jones. This outcome was surrounded by controversy but did not deter him.
UFC Lightweight champ Islam Makhachev paid Timur Valiev a visit 🤝 #TUF31 pic.twitter.com/aeZELbWQ8V
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 2, 2023
The Russian quickly bounced back in 2021, securing back-to-back victories as he won against Martin Day on UFC Fight Night 184 – Overeem vs. Volkov and followed it up with another impressive win against Raoni Barcelos on UFC Fight Night 190 – Gane vs. Volkov.
However, Valiev faced a setback in his UFC journey in 2022 a defeat against Jack Shore on UFC Fight Night 204 – Volkov vs. Aspinall led to his departure from the organization.
Timur Valiev vs Brad Katona TUF 31 bout overview
Katona, the TUF Season 27 winner, has set his sights on becoming a two-time TUF champion. In the recent episode, Superman managed to secure a victory via a split decision, earning a spot in the finals.
Although the result may suggest a one-sided battle, the fight was closely contested. In the first round, Katona displayed his MMA skills, but Timur fought back impressively in the second round. However, it was in the third round that the Canadian fighter showcased his dominance, ultimately making the difference in the match.
During this season of TUF, The Notorious faced challenges as a coach, struggling to secure victories against Team Chandler. However, as kt seems Mystic Mac’s coaching luck turned around when Rico DiSciullo achieved an impressive knockout victory against Hunter Azure.
How is it even possible that Timur Valiev and Brad Katona are not already in the UFC . Get both of these studs in the UFC . You have Ricky Turcios and Gaston Bolanos but you don’t have these two studs. What a show they put on the Ultimate Fighter.
— NarcoCopMMA (@Narcocop) August 2, 2023
The current season of The Ultimate Fighter is still being broadcasted on ESPN and ESPN+. New episodes are released weekly. Are you enjoying the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter? Share which episode you have enjoyed the most so far.
